The service’s clinical operations director Tracey McCosker said the regular contract fly-in oncologist service from the Prince of Wales in Sydney to Tamworth had finished last week and during July an oncologist locum would fly from Melbourne to run clinics for one day a week.

An oncologist from the Newcastle Calvary Mater would provide services during August and Ms McCosker said an agreement had been “all but tied up for a locum to visit during September”.

She said an extensive Australian and international advertising campaign had failed to attract a full-time oncologist for Tamworth and had not even been able to attract an oncologist to relocate to Newcastle.

“There is a world-wide shortage of doctors specialising in the treatment of cancer,” she said.

“Hunter New England Health is committed to maintain oncologist services and we are trying to put a solution in place.”

She said the service understood the lack of continuous service by one oncologist could worry or cause anxiety for many cancer patients, however, the “patients would not be let down”. A back-up system would be in place if the visiting oncologist happened to fall ill or could not meet their clinic commitments.

The oncology clinic, which sees about 30 patients a week, would run one day a week and if the service could attract an oncologist in Newcastle then it could add an extra half day to the Tamworth clinics.

“Staff at the Tamworth Hospital would be talking with patients to ensure they know what is happening,” Ms McCosker said.